Cardiothoracic & vascular anaesthesia
Effect of exercise prehabilitation on days alive and out of hospital after cardiac surgery: a secondary analysis of the randomised PRE-habilitation for improving QUality of recovery after ELective cardiac surgery trial
Authors' conclusion
Exercise-based prehabilitation had little or no effect on long-term time spent at home but may confer a modest survival benefit
Study context
- Population
- Cardiac surgery patients with very mild to moderate frailty, PREQUEL RCT, 2018–2023, follow-up to 31 December 2024
- Participants
- 136 patients
- Comparison
- Exercise-based prehabilitation vs usual care
- Prehabilitationn = 58
- Usual caren = 78reference
- Primary endpoint
- Percent DAOH:
- Recurrent hospitalisations
- Survival
Methodological detailsexploratory, Readmissions and vital status retrospectively obtained from electronic medical records
- Exploratory
- Readmissions and vital status retrospectively obtained from electronic medical records
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
%DAOH
Prehabilitation vs Usual care: P = 0.032 · Prehabilitation vs Usual care: P = 0.131
Further findings
Participants with readmissions
Readmissions Prehabilitation 119 · Usual care 165
| Outcome | Mean difference (yr) (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survival (restricted mean survival time) · 4 yrIn favour of prehabilitation | 0.22 (0.01–0.44) | P = 0.044 | |
| −0.200.20.40.6Difference, yr (linear scale) |
Cumulative hospital bed days owing to readmissions
- Did not differ significantly; IRR
- 0.95 (0.59-1.55) (95% CI)
- Negative binomial regression
Original publication
Effect of exercise prehabilitation on days alive and out of hospital after cardiac surgery: a secondary analysis of the randomised PRE-habilitation for improving QUality of recovery after ELective cardiac surgery trial. BJA Open. Published 3 March 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →